eva and duke

It was the middle of the reception, the dance floor was packed and Duke came up to me and said, "I expect to see this on the blog!" Ha! I didn't even know Duke read this little ole blog! So Duke, I would have done it anyway, but here it goes....

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I have known Eva forever. She is Meghan's cousin and despite being a few years younger than me, we went to the same grade school. It wasn't until recent years though that I would say we have become friends though. I think that tends to happen when you are in your twenties and age gaps become less obvious. Anyway, enough about me and Eva! This is about Duke and Eva. They met and started dating when they were 14! 14, people! Soon after they graduated from college, they took a trip to Door County where Duke asked Eva to marry him!

The wedding was on Saturday, September 26th at 4pm at the South Shore Pavilion in Bayview. Have you peeps been there? It is probably the cream of the crop in county park buildings. The building is really cool and the view is even better being right on the lake. There was threat of rain in the forecast all week, but thankfully it held out and it turned out to be a beautiful day.



We got to the outdoor ceremony, where good ole Tom was handing out programs.

The ceremony got underway and it was short and very sweet. They wrote their own vows, which were so nice and I doubt there was a dry eye in the place. I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

Meghan and her sister, Emily, were co-maids of honor.

Here comes the bride!

the vows (and tears)

the groomsmen having a laugh during the ceremony

the kiss :)

Mr. and Mrs. Duke and Eva J.

Since the wedding and reception were at the same place, we mingled outside for a bit and enjoyed the weather and scenery while everyone was taking pictures. Jon and I also took that time to take some fun candids

We eventually made our way inside and found a seat. I LOVED their centerpieces and loved them even more when I found out how economical they were. They clipped these hydrandeas when they bloomed a while back from a friend's bush (hello, free!)...then dried them so they would keep until the wedding. Then there is the sand which = cheap-o. Actually, if it were me, I would just go to the beach or something and take it. And those vases might as well be drinking glasses from the Dollar Store. So basically probably less than $30. They looked awesome!

And you know it ain't a party if Beyond the Booth isn't there, right? Oh yeah! Even though this isn't a new concept to me anymore, I still love it and I know everyone else at the wedding loved it too. I can't wait to see their guest book! Not quite sure why I look like I have a "Rachel" 'do in the upper right pic, but oh well.

For this one, we got creative with props. I love the lower left best. We did our best model poses: Tom with his male model glasses (which got a lot of laughs when he busted them out out of no where), me with my attempt at "Blue Steel", Emily and Vogue and Meg doing the haute couture pose that the models on PR always do.

For dinner, we sat down at long tables rather than circle - which I always see in magazines, but have never seen in person. (It looked really cool!)






During dinner, Meghan and Emily did their maid of honor speech, which was so cute and sweet! It was told like a fairy tale and incorporated all the milestones in their relationship perfectly...and to top it off, it was read off of a scrolled up piece of paper. KH and TN, Meg and Emily!

Soon after the speeches, the party got underway and we all danced until we literally were too tired to continue on. Things got a little crazy toward the end and I believe the face Eva is making in the second pic is proof of that.

and just as a side note, see that girl next to left of Meghan? I lllllooooovvved her dress.

It was a such a fun wedding and I couldn't be happier for Eva and Duke. They are truly a great couple and their love and support for one another is obvious. I am so happy for them! Congratulations!

9.26.09

Eva and Duke got married on Saturday evening. It was a lovely ceremony and super fun reception that I will be recapping in more detail in the coming days.

That's how I roll. Weddings deserve more words, more pictures and more attention in my book.

btw, I love the emotion of a black and white pic. I found myself making a lot of pics from this wedding black and white. Now you just can't wait to hear all about it, can you?!

diz and andy: married

If there is anyone I know who was made to be married and have a family, it is Dizzy. Diz and Andy have been together for 7 years, so this has been a long time coming.

They did a somewhat untraditional wedding. The ceremony was at noon, with a brunch reception immediately afterward. So, the whole thing was done by about 5pm. Everything was very much 'them', which is how a wedding should be, right? So let's start from the beginning.

Friday night, we met at church for a quick run through the ceremony. They are a well oiled machine and make sure everything is done just right. Like everything down to how they should hold each other's hands. Kind of funny actually, but they are the pros I suppose!





Not everyone could pay attention the whole time though...



Then it was off to The Wicked Hop for dinner. Diz had fun playing with my camera and decided that any wedding money they will be getting will be going toward the purchase of one of her own. I wonder how Andy will feel about that...



Look at this precious little angel baby!









I love this picture and I wish it wasn't blurry. I love how Andy and his dad taking care of the bill. I imagine his dad his smiling because he is so happy for his son. Then there is Diz holding on to little Benny and Andy looking at her probably thinking to himself how lucky he is to have snagged an awesome girl like Diz. (because he is!) That's just my interpretation anyway :)



Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early to get to the hair salon by 8:30 for our hair appointments. There were a few missteps in the hair and makeup department (Marge Simpson moment, barely any mascara) but all was fixed before we left the building.





We made our way back to Dizzy's parents' to get ready. And since her dress wrinkled so easily, we decided to take some fake 'putting on the dress' shots. I don't have any pics of this portion of the day, but let me tell you, her dress fit her per.fect.ly. So once we got the dress on, it didn't really come off and we had to come up with a plan B for getting her to the church without getting wrinkled. Here is what we did... (I hope she doesn't mind her cleavage being on the internet...) Took the seats out of her parents' van and she rode to the church standing up. So very glamorous.



The ceremony was nice. Dizzy looked beautiful. They both were cool, calm and collected. Diz got a little choked up while saying her vows, but I secretly love when that happens at weddings.









The reception was immediately after the ceremony and it was only about a mile away, so we headed right over. They passed mimosas and bloody marys and some other yummy apps. I'm obsessed with the picture below of Katie's friend with the two mimosas. I think it is hilarious because a) she is holding mimosas (i.e. wimpy drink), not bottles of liquor and b) the whole mood of the wedding was laid back, relaxed and classy....and her attitude in this pic is so far from that. It cracks me right up.





I really love this pic. Srsly. How awesome did her hair look?



And because I know peeps like details, here are the simple and beautiful centerpieces. Each table had a different color bouquet of tulips that matched her bouquet.

And take a look at the butter! I was obsessed with it.






We headed outside for some pics and really, they could not have had a nicer day. It was so beautiful and not a cloud in the sky.








After pics, we went back inside for brunch - which included a salad that Jon has been talking about ever since, a buffet of chicken, pork and eggs benedict and made to order omelets. Everything was so yummy....however, I had a hard time eating much because I was sooooo nervous about my speech! I'm not sure why I was so worked up, but I had a hard time calming down. And for the first couple seconds of the speech, I have a feeling my voice was cracking and it was obvious that I was about to faint. Not really...but actually I'm kind of serious. It all turned out fine obviously (it always does)...but I'm still glad I went first because Kevin, Andy's best man, was as cool as a cucumber.








It was such a nice day! I was honored to be a part of it and am so happy for my dear friend. I know they are going to have a great marriage. Congratulations Diz and Andy!